2018 General Tennis News

Say Cheese: Stars Shine At ATP World Tour Photoshoot


ATP World Tour - FEB 06, 2018



ATP World Tour Uncovered presented by Peugeot brings you behind the scenes as the stars of the ATP World Tour participate in an annual photoshoot at Melbourne Park, and hear what the likes of Roger Federer, Grigor Dimitrov and others have to say about how much they enjoy it.

Stars shine for ATP's annual video and photoshoot


By Baseline - FEB 06, 2018

Ever wonder how the ATP gets ahold of all those slick promotion materials of players for every single event on the calendar? Over five days in Melbourne, the pros on the men's tour take part in a video and photoshoot with the ATP World Tour.

"I think it's important to do for the promotion of all the events around the world," Roger Federer said. "It doesn't take much time. It's good fun. I like to do it every year. I'm happy with the result."

The ATP takes special care in not wasting players' time, with Sam Querrey calling it a "well-oiled machine" that takes about 20 minutes.

Speaking of oil, the behind the scenes footage shows Hyeon Chung literally getting oiled up ahead of his turn in front of the camera. It's all in a good day's work on the ATP tour.

If Felix Auger-Aliassime Is The Future Then The Future Will Be Fun


Giri Nathan - deadspin.com
14 February 2018


Before anything else, just watch someone ball out for a bit:

(Video no longer available)

Now for some context: that’s a 17-year-old, serving to stay in a match, which also happens to be his first-ever match on the tour. More specifically, the 17-year-old is Felix Auger-Aliassime, dear friend of Shapo, fellow Canadian teen, recent training partner of Roger Federer, the youngest person to make the top 200 since Rafael Nadal did it in 2002, and as buzzed-about a young name as you will find in the sport. He will likely be an outrageously wealthy and famous man one day. Yesterday, you did not have to squint to see why that might be the case. After one set of palpable anxiety, over- and under-hitting and muffing his serves, Auger-Aliassime steadily warmed up over these three sets, and nearly won his tour debut, erasing three match points before losing the fourth to world No. 38 Filip Krajonovic 6-2, 3-6, 7-5. More importantly, Felix showcased the goods that will likely make him a fixture of the game over the next decade, and also, yes, an outrageously wealthy and famous guy. No pressure though, Felix.

From a pure watchability standpoint, it’s electrifying to see a newcomer come out smacking 49 winners in a debut. I’ll happily take the 53 errors that go with that. (Compare to that to more controlled Krajinovic, who had 19 and 23, to get a sense of the different styles on display in this match.) Auger-Aliassime requires little windup on his compact, cracking groundstrokes, achieves grown-up depth and pace, and shows no shyness about aiming for the lines. There is a controlled ferocity to his game that should age beautifully with time.

You could see all his talent contained in the seventh game of the match, which is about where he began to stir awake. On the set point, he shows how easily he’s able to wrench open a neutral rally, pushing Krajinovic around with angles, then using a low slice to lure his foe into the middle of the court, then placing two vicious forehands into the same spot, the second even more lethal than first. Then at deuce, it’s a serve out wide, forehand to the opposite corner—the one-two punch of the men’s game, a bread-and-butter move—and calmly cleaning up the leftovers at the net, knocking a tricky low volley into open court. Then, on the third point, he confidently steps into the court and beams a pure backhand down the line. Across three points: well-constructed long rally, an aggressive move to net, a care-free winner while stepping into the court. This is what it looks like to have options. This is a kid who will win his points in myriad ways, and might never leave us—much less his opponent—bored or expectant of what’s to come on the next ball.

(Video no longer available)

It’s not just that Auger-Aliassime hits winners, it’s how he builds his way up to them, with foresight and poise that appear very sustainable. His serve is not yet an outright weapon (though he’s 6-foot-3 and athletic, so expect that to change). But he returns with ready hands and intelligence, keeping the ball deep and, when he can, right back to his opponent’s feet, as he does on the below point. That return earns him a soft reply, which he takes as a furious backhand down the line. It’s hard, but he hits it with plenty of margin for error; it’s good, but he knows it won’t be the kill shot. It will, however, get him there. The kill comes two shots later, when he is eventually fed a floaty ball to run around and strike inside-out at an audacious angle, almost making you forget that it landed on the baseline.

(Video no longer available)

The teen’s best play did not abandon him in the tense final games of the match; dude stayed cool and full of his usual variety even as he fought to stay alive. Witness the easy control on this backhand winner struck with just the right touch from an awkward middling zone of the court, and see also the go-for-broke abandon on this final forehand which he pipes down a very narrow corridor of winnerdom.

(Video no longer available)

It is too early to say, of course, especially in this sport rife with unfulfilled prodigies, many of whom burn out, sometimes publicly and explosively. But Felix will very likely achieve his stated goal of finishing in the top 100 this year, and will maybe one day even pass up his free-flowing pal in the oversized baseball hat, currently ranked No. 47. No one could have predicted that Canada would follow up the entirely beige-flavored Milos Raonic with two virtuosic, balanced, creative tennis players, and no one’s mad about it, either.

Davis Cup to be transformed into a 1-week World Cup





By STEVE DOUGLAS - AP
26 Feb 2018


The Davis Cup could be transformed into a one-week, one-location, 18-nation World Cup of Tennis in a major overhaul aimed at enticing the best men’s players to play.

Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic are among the stars to have reacted positively to the creation of an annual season-ending event, starting in 2019, that will have a total purse of $20 million.

“We think the change we are making will make it so much more appealing and tangible to the top players,” David Haggerty, president of the International Tennis Federation, told The Associated Press on Monday.

Established in 1900, the Davis Cup has struggled for relevance at times in a crowded sporting calendar in recent years because many top players have chosen not to play.

In this revamp, the World Cup of Tennis would be played over seven days in the traditional week of the Davis Cup final, rather than across four weekends in February, July, September, and November. It would comprise a round-robin format followed by a quarterfinal knockout stage. Each tie would be best-of-three sets and consist of two singles and a doubles.

Sixteen teams would automatically qualify for the finals, and two more would be selected.

“In November 2018, players will know who is playing in November 2019 and they’ll be able to factor that into their plans, travel, and prioritize it,” Haggerty said in a phone interview. “Now, you may know where your first tie is, but you’re not sure where your second would be. You’re not sure of the surface.

“There are some uncertainties and this will bring some clarity to it to help make the commitment to play.”

The event has been devised in conjunction with investment group Kosmos, which was founded by Barcelona and Spain soccer player Gerard Pique. The partnership is worth $3 billion over 25 years.

Pique has been a big driver behind the overhaul. He personally presented the proposal to the ITF board in Barcelona on Saturday, a few hours before playing that night for his team in the Spanish league.

“He has had conversations with players, and the players council,” Haggerty said of Pique. “The players are very supportive of this idea.

“I have to say that I haven’t spoken to them directly, but I know that Gerard has had some conversations over the last few days and had positive comments from Andy Murray, from Novak Djokovic.”

The ITF board unanimously endorsed the proposal, which will be submitted at the ITF’s annual general meeting in Florida in August.

Haggerty said a decision on the venue for the inaugural competition will be taken in four to six weeks. There has been interest in the United States and Asia, among others.

It will be on a hard court to begin with, so players featuring in the ATP Finals in November don’t have to change surfaces.

“We want to find a relevant city that is world class,” Haggerty said, “where sport and entertainment can come together, where fans will travel.”

Haggerty said the ITF’s long-term goal is to turn the Fed Cup into a similar one-week event.

“This is a complete game-changer for the ITF and for tennis,” he said.

ITF announces plans for transformation of Davis Cup


   Paul Zimmer - The Davis Cup trophy


Davis Cup Press Release
26 Feb 2018


The ITF today announced plans for a 25-year, $3 billion partnership with investment group Kosmos that will transform Davis Cup by BNP Paribas and generate substantial revenues for global tennis development.

The ITF Board of Directors unanimously endorsed a proposal to create a major new annual season-ending World Cup of Tennis Finals that will crown the Davis Cup champions. Featuring 18 nations and played over one week in a world-class location in November, the event will be staged by Kosmos in partnership with the ITF.

Gerard Piqué, the Spain and FC Barcelona football star, is the founder and President of Kosmos. The group is backed by Hiroshi Mikitani, the Chairman and CEO of Rakuten, the Tokyo-based e-commerce company.

The investment from Kosmos will include significant increases in prize money for players and ITF member nations, and the funding of grass roots projects and other tennis development programmes.

The proposal is subject to further development, and the successful completion of due diligence and finalisation of a formal agreement.

ITF President David Haggerty said: “This is a complete game-changer for the ITF and for tennis. Our Board has supported a bold and ambitious plan for the future of Davis Cup by BNP Paribas, one of the sport’s most cherished and important events and a key cornerstone in our ITF2024 strategy.

“Our vision is to create a major season-ending finale that will be a festival of tennis and entertainment, featuring the world’s greatest players representing their nations to decide the Davis Cup champions.

“This new partnership will not only create a true World Cup of Tennis, but will also unlock record levels of new investment for future generations of tennis players and fans around the world.”

Several world-class cities have already expressed interest in hosting the new event, and the ITF and Kosmos will continue discussions with a view to launching the Finals in 2019.

The plans will be submitted to the ITF Annual General Meeting, to be held in August in Orlando, Florida. A two-thirds majority will be required for final approval.

Gerard Piqué said: “Kosmos is thrilled to join in this exciting partnership with the ITF. Together we can elevate Davis Cup by BNP Paribas to new heights by putting on a must-see World Cup of Tennis Finals featuring the top nations and top players. Kosmos will also invest $3 billion over 25 years into tennis that will help develop the game worldwide.”

Under the plans, the World Cup of Tennis Finals will be played over seven days in November in the traditional week of the Davis Cup Final. The Finals will feature a round-robin format followed by a quarterfinal knockout stage. Each tie will consist of two singles and one doubles over best-of-three sets. The 16 World Group nations will automatically qualify for the Finals, and a further two nations will be selected.

There will also be a play-off round held during the Finals which will include the eight nations that qualify from the Zone Group I events. The eight play-off winners will earn a place in the following year’s Finals.

There will be no change to the format of zone group competition. In Zone Groups I and II, home-and-away ties will continue to be played during the traditional three weeks in the calendar. Zone Groups III and IV will continue to consist of week-long round-robin events.

Further details will be announced in due course.

Alexander Zverev Says ‘Fight’ Ended Partnership With Ferrero

Adam Addicott - Ubitennis.net | 02/03/2018 12:370





World No.5 Alexander Zverev has accused former mentor Juan Carlos Ferrero of being ‘disrespectful’ following the ending of their partnership.

The two have been working together since July, but their collaboration ended shortly after the Australian Open. Where Zverev lost in the third round to Hyeon Chung. Spanish newspaper Marca reported last week that the two had different opinions regarding how Zverev conducts himself away from the court. Ferrero wanted him to be more professional, but the German wanted more freedom.

Shedding light on the situation following his quarter-final win at the Mexican Open, the 20-year-old claims that the former world No.1 was rude to his entire team. Saying that he was the one who ended their collaboration.

“My team is exactly the same except Juan Carlos left,” Zverev told reporters.
“We had a kind of a fight in Australia after the Australian Open, which is fine when it involves me and him. I have those kind of arguments [with other team members] and we are still working fine.
“That argument there involved my whole team and there was a moment where he was very disrespectful towards everybody in my team and that’s why I had to stop the relationship.”

Zverev has also dismissed speculation that Boris Becker will be joining his team. Becker, who has worked with Novak Djokovic in the past, is the head of German men’s tennis. Meaning that he will be present at some of Zverev’s matches. Although that is set to be as far as it goes.

“I’m not going to work with Boris Becker. This is a very big misunderstanding. He’s the head of men’s tennis in the German Federation so he’s going to be there at a few tournaments.” He explained.
“He’s always more than welcome on my court, to watch my matches, and that’s how this relationship is.”

Alexander Zverev Says ‘Fight’ Ended Partnership With Ferrero

Following Alexander Zverev's claims that an argument caused a split with Juan Carlos Ferrero, the Spaniard has offered a rebuttal.


Peter Hanson - Sportstar | 04 March, 2018

Juan Carlos Ferrero has had his say on his split with Alexander Zverev, claiming the German lacked discipline and did not follow his guidelines.

Zverev appointed Ferrero as his coach last July, but their working relationship came to an end at January's Australian Open following the world number five's loss to surprise package Hyeon Chung.

Speaking at the Mexican Open on Thursday, Zverev attributed the split to an argument with Ferrero at Melbourne Park and claimed the Spaniard was disrespectful to other members of his team.

But Ferrero, the 2003 French Open champion, says that Zverev's attitude towards his methods deteriorated as he became more successful.

In quotes reported by Marca, he said: "What I asked from the first day is to respect the team. Among other things I asked him to be a little more punctual, telling him that it was not right that he would arrive 20 or 30 minutes late to training day after day.

"The first months he was more disciplined and respectful, but when he got more confident he no longer respected the guidelines I marked out at the beginning."

Despite the seemingly acrimonious split, Ferrero still took plenty of positives from his time working with Zverev.

He added: "I am left with the experience of having helped him to win his first two Masters [titles]."